So... I hear Atlus is no more...?

By Saiyajin Mui. 31/08/10, 11:03 am

Bluntly stolen from Sankaku.

Quote :: Atlus, the company behind the Persona and Megami Tensei series, is to be dissolved due to its ongoing financial problems.

Atlus, a 100% owned subsidiary of Index Holdings, will henceforth be dissolved and its assets transferred to Index Holdings.

However, it has also been announced that future game releases by the consolidated company will continue to use the “Atlus” brand where appropriate – its history as a distinct entity is at an end though.

Index Holdings itself is better known for the usual execrable mobile phone and “social” games, and it is also the parent company of anime studio Madhouse. Although the merger is supposed to provide Atlus access to these “fortes,” it seems unlikely fans of major Atlus titles will find anything to look forward to in these competencies.

However...

Quote :: Index, the company which just announced the dissolution of beloved RPG maker Atlus, recently unveiled the latest title in the Persona franchise – Persona 3 Social, a mobile phone game promising the latest in “social” gaming with the advanced graphical capabilities of a mobile phone handset, and with players nickelled and dimed for each item.

The game itself is free, but players will have to pay for items and other elements.

Index Holdings, the parent company into which Atlus is being so ignominiously folded, have stated current development plans will be unaffected and that the Atlus name will continue to be used to publish its games – it is claimed the merger will allow the two companies to make better use of their respective strengths and IPs, a one-sided arrangement if ever there were one.

With the Index conglomerate dwarfing Atlus in size, and with its core business mostly concerned with mobile phone development, including such marvels as Persona 3 Social and “Bowlingual,” an iPhone application for talking to dogs, the scepticism of long time Atlus fans as to the future direction of Atlus is understandable.

Your thoughts?

By **Admin**. 31/08/10, 01:24 pm

:/ I don't like it. I think it's stupid really? >_> It's like they're fixing something that isn't broken. And I could be wrong, but I'd think there's little to no money in cellphone games in European countries.

Persona 3 Social sounds dumb, especially. >_> Oh you don't have to pay for the game, but instead you can pay for all the additions which will probably end up costing more than the game would have costed. /SIGH. Dislike.

By Saiyajin Mui. 31/08/10, 01:34 pm

If people know what they're doing, they can grab cellphone games without the need to pay for them too.

It's like a game that's made entirely of DLCs.

By Nikopol. 01/09/10, 12:12 am

Its just a merger if anything, nothing much [i don't think] going to change for consumers. I can't remember reading any massive quaterly losses for Atlus at all, or any reason they are failing in any markets.

They for sure would not get rid of the Atlus brand and style anyway. Since it is what makes them profitable... However knowing how Japanese people do business! It is a mystery!

By Dolei. 11/10/10, 02:45 pm

I'm just waiting till thier next console release... P5 /jizzface

I really hope they don't turn to sugar honey iced tea though >w<

But oh my gosh! An app for talking to dogs :'D so much win

**Sponsored content**